That is why I have been so firmly in the "Fire Elway NOW!" camp.
There is just no future I can see for as long as Elway remains the GM. He's just bad at his job and that's a fact. Signing Peyton Manning and having a bunch of elite FAs fall into his lap on team-friendly deals well below market price -- because they knew they could win a championship or two with Peyton Manning (Demarcus Ware, TJ Ward, Aqib Talib, Emanuel Sanders, etc.) -- that covered up a lot of Elway's sins as a GM.
"You know what covered up a ton of sins? Peyton Manning! You know who doesn't cover up any sins? Joe Flacco. And there are sins everywhere you look on this football team." -- Mark Schlereth.
In Ware and Manning alone they had 2 no-doubt, sure-fire 1st ballot, Hall of Fame Players who were nearing the end of their careers but who exercised unchallenged leadership over the team.
When Peyton and Demarcus spoke the players did exactly whatever they said. Because how are you going to justify slacking off at any point when you see Peyton every day grinding away at the facility?
Elway's job was easy, but his draft record after his first draft when he had Brian Xanders before Elway fired him, has been atrocious. And despite all the hype about the last couple of drafts, there's frankly no proof whatever that Elway's last couple of drafts have been anything great.
He still thinks Joe Flacco is the answer.